Watered Down Memories
by cgaussie
Summary: PleakleyJumba one sided slash During one of the hottest days on records, Jumba wants to cool off in a bath of cold water. Not expecting to bring up old memories of his past.


Watered down Memories  
By: CG

Written: July 2006 span of two days  
Fandom: Lilo and Stitch  
Rating: PG  
Genre: General, slight angst, slight fluffy one sided romance  
Pairing(s): Jumba/Pleakley  
Warnings: Very mild slash relations, tho for now as usual it's only one sided from our little one eyed one's side.  
Plot: During one of the hottest days on records, Jumba wants to cool off in a bath of cold water. Not expecting to bring up old memories of his past.  
Spoilers: None, at least I don't think so.  
Thanks: To Weyrdchic for reminding me just how much fun these two guys can be.  
Disclaimers: You totally know nothing here belongs to me except the concepts on the history of both planets mentioned and Plorgarian reproduction. That's all my fault, my bad!

It had felt like forever and a day since he first arrived on the lone planet known as Earth ever since the first space probe crash-landed into a poor Martian's space cruiser. The name of the planet up till that moment had been 'that speck there', since officially no one had ever been there. Unofficially, in the archives of the Galactic Federation had top secret highly classified files of a ship once crashing there. And learning of how an alien species long believed extinct (the Mosquito) was still thriving, but was still considered highly endangered. As far as Intergalactic spreading went. Which was pretty far.

Dr. Jumba Jookiba, graduation of highest honours from Evil Genius University but labelled an idiot scientist by the Federation and the media was a Quelta Quanian. His species was big everywhere. Their tallest recorded male had been nine feet, and heaviest was at over nine thousand Earth pounds. Personally Jumba was a little over seven feet high and four hundred Earth pounds. His skin was the usual shade of Quelta's, purple or a variant there of. Two sets of eyes adorned his face, sculptured there by the Quelta Quanian weather, which was once so cold; to be able to see clearly through the rampaging winds carrying snow and ice was to grow another set of eyes. Next to nothing survived. All those millions of years living in near freezing conditions had shaped his species to be big, with thick hides, board shoulders, muscular but also with enough fat to feed off in the harsher times of years.

Now a days Quelta's were known for just being fat.

And being of this size, some weather situations made life upmost unbearable for the evil genius. Right now Kuai was suffering its hottest heatwave in over a decade. The thermometer in the kitchen had long since melted into a puddle of fibreglass and red goo - which I might add quickly fried once it hit the kitchen floor. The natural course of action in this kind of weather was to head for the beach, naturally since it was an island of Hawaii. But Jumba hated the crowds as much as the heat, and seeing multiple stinky puny human bodies frying as bad as he was... well it was little to no comfort. Plus the water was just as hot. Either way, Nani and her on-again-off-again boyfriend David had taken Lilo and Stitch off to the beach. Lilo had been complaining that her photo collection was low on quota, so she better fix it post haste.

Pleakley had waved them off, calling out warnings of being sure to cover themselves in UV sunscreen since he didn't want any flaking skin in the house again. Not since last time. It had taken him weeks to vacuum up all the skin particles in the house and they got absolutely EVERYWHERE. It had been quite a chore. Jumba hadn't been in the mood to waste energy and wave, so he had opted to attempting to talk on the sizzling kitchen floor to find a drink to attempt to quench his thirst.

By the time Pleakley arrived in the kitchen he found Jumba using the sink's hose quite incorrectly. Normally the little hose, with a nozzle at the end, was used for washing dishes. NOT to be inside the bigger alien's mouth, the cold water on high and him guzzling it down like his life depended on it. "Jumba!" the Plorgarian cried, hurrying up to him (and making 'ow!' noises as each foot hit the floor, so it was a long string of 'owowowow') "That is NOT the proper way to use that thing mister!" he declared while yanking the hose right out of Jumba's mouth and ended up spraying water all over the place.

"Ah, that is a much better idea!" Jumba declared while Pleakley all but panicked some more until he managed to turn the tap off. Not an easy mission given Jumba had turned the tap so tightly it took all of his strength (and then some) to finally turn it to get it off. "Aw." The evil genius slumped, before he began fanning himself with a magazine.

"Just w-what has gotten into you?" Pleakley spluttered as he wiped some water from his face. Despite how cool and refreshing it was, he was already pretty cool given how slim he was. Jumba groaned as he was asked this, as if it wasn't simple enough to deduct with one eyeball. He guessed Pleakley's eye was bigger then his brain.

"The weather!" he snapped, walking away and as he did steam emitted where his large feet hit the puddles of water caused by the hose. "This idiotic Earth weather! Does it have to of being such high degrees?" Jumba ranted, "All season here it is nice, warm but nice! Now WHAM!" to emphasise he slammed his fist into the doorframe. Almost destroying said doorframe and making Pleakley suddenly all the more terrified and reminded he was dealing with seven feet of muscle. "It is going so high, Jumba is melting in spot!"

Taking a deep breath and swallowing down as much fear as he could without choking, the Plorgarian walked over to where his bizarrely chosen companion stood, "It's not like the weather's out to get you silly." he chuckled nervously, hoping to ease the obvious tension Jumba was feeling. "It's... just really hot. And no - no you can't get your little monster to make it snow either. That would destroy the environment. Again." he had seen the little spark of an idea light up in one of Jumba's many eyes. At hearing this, Jumba scowled.

"So Jumba is to melt into evil genius puddle on floor?" he asked, narrowing all four eyes unhappily. "I am thinking... not such good idea."

Pleakley sighed, shook his head and put his hands to his hips. Or equivalent of. "Now look here mister, there's lots of ways to cool off!" Pleakley was sounding far too optimistic for Jumba's good. He grumbled darkly again but walked out of the kitchen so his feet would stop cooking on the floor. Pleakley very happily joined him since having three bare feet on the same floor wasn't comfortable.

Now in the safety of the lounge Jumba wondered if he should sit down. Probably not, he'd leave a big puddle of sweat on the sofa and he highly doubted Nani would appreciate that. Man, he HAD come a long way. Actually caring what Nani thinks? ...maybe he's delirious from the heat. "Oh yeah?" Jumba asked, turning so he could stare down at the one eyed alien stood besides him. Now in front of him. Whatever, it's hot. Let's not get too technical.

"Well sure! You could... uhm... shove ice down your pants!" Pleakley offered. Jumba eyed him. With all four eyes. "..okay maybe not THAT one. Uhm..." he thought, tapping his chin with one of his slender fingers. "Ooo I know! We could fill the bath with cold water and you could off in that!"

Jumba stood there contemplatively for a while. A bath but with cold water, so it was sort of like swimming but not swimming. He smirked a bit, before laying a heavy (and sweaty, ew!) hand on Pleakley's shoulder. "Hah! And they say you is not smart. They know nothing!"

"Wait, who says that?"

"Eh, people."

Ah, the bathroom. Normally a place Jumba only visited in the mornings, nights, and short intervals in-between. Course, he was a guy so his idea of 'freshening up' was just splashing his face and underarms with water, a comb through the hair (pointless what with three hairs) and gargle his teeth. Unlike Pleakley who took up residence in the bathroom for hours at a time. Especially if it meant getting all dressed up. Then it felt  
like forever. The bathroom alone felt much cooler then the rest of the house - must do with the cool tiles on the floor as opposed to carpet, wood and plastic floors throughout the rest of the house. Jumba had once had a bath in the bathroom before, but now it was more specifically to cool off rather then wash.

"Now remember, don't fill it TOO much because you cause such an overflow we'll end up drowning!" Pleakley said as he watched Jumba plug up the drain with a plug and turned the cold water on as high as he could without snapping off the knob. "Really Jumba, it's not gonna come any faster."

"Feh!" Jumba snorted and watched as the water began to rise and the lone little yellow duckie sat in the corner began to rise with it. The two stood there in silence for a while until Pleakley broke it, again.

"Ooh I know! Hold on!" with that he ran from the room, leaving Jumba to blink his four eyes in confusement before looking back to the rising water. Not too high. Pleakley quickly returned with the kitchen's radio and plugged it into the wall where he knew Nani normally plugged her hair dryer. "Music. Might help relax you!" he explained helpfully and turned it on. Hard Rock blasted from the radio, causing the water to ripple as if T-Rex was coming to visit. Jumba covered his ears, 

"SHUT IT OVER!" he screamed.

"WHAT?" Pleakley asked.

"SHUT IT OVER!"

"WHAT?"

"TURN RADIO STATION!"

"OH!"

Finally it was turned down, and turned over. Jumba picked at one of his ears with a finger, "Egh. Punk." he muttered.

"I agree. Eeuugh!"

But what proceeded to happen next ultimately made the surprise of punk rock as pleasant as a warm hug from your Mother. Jumba finally stopped the water, feeling it was high enough for his purposes and began unbuttoning the yellow shirt that was already stretched to it's limit across his board chest and back. "It sadden me that THAT is considered music with some species." he said, totally oblivious to just how quiet and stunned Pleakley had became in the span of two seconds.

He debated what to do. Apologise profusely and leave? Turn around to look away? Watch? Jumba obviously wasn't taking this as serious as he was, he was undressing right in front of him for cryin' out loud! Turning multiple shades of gold Pleakley spun around; hands bound by invisible rope to his sides and stared at something else. Which turned out to be the mirror so he was once again given the pleasant opportunity to watch his comrade finally remove the shirt. But only after a few Quelta Quan swear words at how tricky the buttons were.

"I is telling you, you would think they would be making much larger shirts on puny island if they SAW the size of tourists now a days!" Jumba ranted as he tossed the shirt (wet and sweat stained far beyond belief) away. So far he had never once found a shirt that fit him. If only he could go back to his lab only for a few minutes to grab some pants, shirts. . . maybe make another genetic experiment while he's there, you know just for old time's sake. He chuckled and glanced over his shoulder to Pleakley, "Heh, I suppose you is-" he stopped when he saw he was looking at Pleakley's face but only via the mirror's reflection. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing!" Pleakley answered as soon as the word had passed Jumba's lips. "I'm fine! Just go about your business I don't want to interrupt!"

Jumba blinked, then grinned to himself as he turned away. Oh, this has suddenly become a lot more fun then he had planned it to. Pleakley was obviously on edge, and he hadn't even tried to do it on purpose today! His mind debated on how he could make this more 'interesting'

"Well you don't need me surely!" Pleakley broke off his run-away-train of thought, one hand to his one eye and began to shuffle uncertainly away towards the door. Uncertainly since a small sliver of himself wanted to stay, maybe even cool off with Jumba. And that's what made the other part of him want to leave just as fast.

"Oh, no no," Jumba said, putting his two years of acting class from EGU to good use and quite easily put his hand to Pleakley's retreating back. He felt the Plorgarian's whole frame almost seize up and heard the little squeak escape his lips. "I am wanting company." he added, smiling quite sincerely for an evil genius. But still coming off creepy. Only slightly.

"C-c-company?" Pleakley asked, the golden blush to his face probably burnt on for the rest of the day. It was suddenly feely mighty warm all of a sudden and he decided not to know why.

"Yes, company!" Jumba ushered Pleakley to the seat Lilo normally sat on whilst Nani (or Pleakley sometimes) would style her hair. "Sit." it wasn't a request, that was an order.

Pleakley nodded mutely and climbed up onto the seat, inner conflicts roaring up against each other since he was only feeling somewhat disheartened that he hadn't told him to get into the bath with him. Lord, what was he thinking? He'd never do such a thing as that! Communal bathing was a big no no on Plorginaar! Given that's where mating happened, after all. But for Quelta Quan. . . wait. He didn't know a thing about Jumba's planet. Maybe this is the norm there! Look worldly, look worldly! Pleakley folded one of his legs over the other two and leant back slightly. "Well, all right if you sayyy so." Pleakley said as casually as he could while his hearts were doing butterfly impersonations within his chest.

"Yes, I am saying so." Jumba nodded, before climbing into the bath. Without removing his shorts. Pleakley fought the urge to ask himself why he mentally drooped at that Jumba kept them on. Jumba had let out a very content sigh as he felt the cold water splash against his purple hide. This was a good idea of Pleakley's after all. With all his eyes shut for now he sneaked his smallest eye that was closest to Pleakley open to peek at him. Yes, he looked as nervous as he thought he was and he grinned very widely indeed as he let his eye slip shut again. "Jumba?" he heard the familiar voice speak out to him through the darkness.

"Hmm?" Jumba rumbled back in reply, unable to form words at this moment in time.

"Does your species usually... bathe together?" he heard the question come out tenderly, as if Pleakley was walking on broken glass and not wanting to cause pain to anyone. Jumba's eyes snapped open at the question and he regarded Pleakley quietly, and he saw his little friend flinch at how he was looking at him. Inwardly he hissed at himself for being so stand offish all the time. He brought his arms from where he had rested them on the rim of the bath into his lap.

"We used to." Jumba answered gruffly. This was territory he didn't particularly want to visit, but Pleakley didn't know this. Or pick it up, since Jumba always sounded gruff.

"Ooh really? So you'd all share a bath together, one family?" Pleakley loved hearing about other alien's culture. It was the reason why he had gotten into Earth studies after all. To find out why a certain species did one thing, while it was frowned upon by another. 

Jumba shut his eyes, folding his arms to put up a physical defence against the world in general. "Hm." he grunted. It was true, Quelta Quanian families did… used to bathe together. It had stemmed from their ancestors, having to survive terrible snowy weather. The only way to survive was with your family group. Huddling together for warmth had evolved into a very closely knit communities be them family, neighbours, or clans that were scattered across their planet when it was first forming into a more civilized world.

"Fascinating!" Pleakley gleed, clasping his hands together. But he did realise Jumba's body language. He was cutting himself off from the conversation. Little grunts for answers, and his folded arms meant 'go away'. "...Jumba?" he asked, his voice going much softer then before.

"I no remember any of it." Jumba spat sourly, as if he'd eaten a whole lemon by mistake instead of an apple.

"Remember what?" Pleakley heard himself ask before he had a chance to shut his mouth.

"Nothing." Jumba rumbled darkly before falling backwards into the tub and allowing the water wash over his head. It looked like a whale had beached itself in the bathtub, what with Jumba's stomach sticking out above the tub.

Pleakley dropped down from the stool and made his way over to the tub, putting a hand to the rim and looked down into the water. Jumba was holding his breath, bubbles escaping from his nose, corners of his mouth and ears. Even his eyes seemed to be allowing some bubbles escape from them. This worried Pleakley. "Jumba?" he asked, and once he got no response he shook whatever part of Jumba he could grab at, which was his stomach right now. "Jumba stop that! Stop it!"

The world was a blank canvas to Jumba for now. What he could hear, he blocked out by actually flicking his ears much like a hippopotamus, and shut them tightly against his neck. Pleakley didn't know, of course not. What became of Quelta Quan didn't bother anyone but Quelta Quanian's. They had paradise. Their beautiful planet, having survived the millennium long ice age it had finally flourished to a bountiful land. Greenery, pastures. Cities grew, civilization took place. But they knew of the rumours. It was believed Quelta held vast amounts of jewels within the caverns where early Quelta life had begun huddling together to keep warm. The planet had heavy pressure. Pressure meant jewels and diamonds.

For years their planet was attacked, and they held off most of them as best as they could. Without help from the outside. It wasn't that they were a proud species (oh, that they were indeed) and hadn't asked for help. The fact was the Galactic Federation just did not help. They watched as a whole planet was attacked, and destroyed. Yes, destroyed. The Quelta Quanian's were rounded up like herds of cattle, out witted by the quicker aliens who had attacked. Families were split up. Jumba had been torn from his mother's arms, screaming in terror as he was all but thrown into a transportation pod with other children his age.

He didn't even know the planet had exploded upon itself until a few days later.

But those particular memories never really surfaced until Jumba found himself in such a state, where his breath was hard to catch, his life flashing before his eyes. He saw the large eyes staring down at him, he remembers his mother, yelling in her native tongue at the attackers. He suddenly feels their cold clammy hands on him, all but ripping him from her arms. The gates slam shut and at the same instance, "BUWAH!" Jumba sat bolt right up in the bath, panting and heaving. Short of breath, and nauseated by what his memories had just handed him caused him to feel dizzy, disorientated. His eyes rolled around within their sockets, searching for something to lock on so they could adjust to the brightness of the room compared to that of the darkness they were just in.

He finds it.

Pleakley had almost ran screaming from the room after the first minute of what looked like Jumba's death in the bath. But just as he was about to leave he heard his friend scream for air, and now he watched as his friend's eyes didn't seem to know what to look at first. He looked so pale, actually... scared. Something Pleakley had never seen in Jumba's eyes before. His eyes. One of them had spotted him, then the other one did. The other two followed, and he was looking at Pleakley like he was a beacon. Like a lighthouse on the distant shore, showing him the safe way home again. "J... Jumba?" he asked quietly, afraid still of what had happened.

Jumba blinked his eyes, out of sync, before sighing. He fell back, but not entirely beneath the water this time. "...my planet was destroyed. My people were split up. Most died when our planet exploded. I and many others my age, we were sent away. I never knew what it was like, to have family. To have community spirit my people had." he mumbled quietly, without emotion. "I never care for families before. Too easy to break. To fail. That is why Jumba remain alone for so long."

This was all coming out so fast, almost too fast for Pleakley to handle. Jumba looked like he had just had a near death experience at his own hands, and now was actually telling him about his family? His people? And what Pleakley did hear was heart breaking. He walked towards his friend, and sat on the cold tiles and gently put one of his hands to Jumba's. At first Jumba jerked his hand away on instinct, never one for physical touch. But his eyes found Pleakley again, and he put his hand back where it was, allowing Pleakley to give it a gentle caress with his long fingers.

"I... I'm sorry those things happened to you." Pleakley ventured a small apology, knowing it would never make up for what Jumba had lost. What he never had to hold close. A family. It suddenly made sense. Why Jumba had taken so long to adjust to ohana. He'd never had one before, could the evil genius - creator of over six hundred and twenty eight different genetic experimentations - had been afraid to get a family? He had had one once, but had lost it. Had it ripped from it, it felt like. "It's not right those things happened, to you, to anyone." he continued, running his hand over Jumba's huge hand. Pleakley shut his eye. "But... I'm glad you're part of our family now." he said quietly, hushed like a prayer. Or a promise.

Jumba opened his eyes, and looked at the Plorgarian quietly. He hadn't expected an apology. He wasn't about to accept it either, the rough Jumba wanted to yell at Pleakley for being pathetic. Like a simple apology would bring his real family back. But then he had said something.. that he was glad he was part of 'our family'? He and Jumba most certainly hadn't met on the right foot. Or left one, or middle one in Pleakley's case. To know almost an entire year after their initial meeting here he was, sat in cold bath water on the hottest day of the year almost bleeding his heart out to Pleakley about his real family... but it made him realise something.

"...I may have lost first family," he said as he slowly sat up, putting his other giant hand over Pleakley's. "But I too, am happy to be part of this one. This... _you_ is my family." Jumba smiled, despite knowing how out right sappy he sounded. Pleakley rose his head to stare at Jumba, absolutely dumbfounded (and elated) he had heard those words come from Jumba. Not just this family as in himself, the little monster, Lilo, Nani, and (to some extent) David and Pleakley. But just Pleakley? Did he mean that? He didn't want to ask. Not yet - Jumba had just unloaded a big helping of emotional luggage onto the small alien's shoulders.

But he smiled either way, feeling genuinely touched that Jumba had said these things. He felt warm all over. Once again the temperature was raising in here again. Jumba grinned at him, the same playful kind of grin he normally gave. He removed his hand from Pleakley's before sitting up more, "Now that all this touchy feelyness is over with, I am wanting one last thing." Jumba said.

"Oh really?" Pleakley asked, "What?"

"I am wanting to know what shared bath, even if one with clothes on, is like." Jumba replied simply. Pleakley didn't catch his meaning at first, but when he did... oh lord, it felt like his hearts were all but ready to burst forth from his chest and fly out the window before exploding into colourful fireworks so big that his Mother back home could see them. He wasn't given a chance to say yes or no, he suddenly felt one of Jumba's large hands gently (by, how hands that were so huge and powerful and rough could be so gentle and soothing was beyond Pleakley) wrapped around his waist and lifted him into the water and set him down across from him.

Pleakley remained quiet, afraid if he said anything he'd squeal it out like a little girl. Sharing water on his planet was a big, VERY big deal. It only happened when partners had finally decided to have children. His species reproduced in water, the female would deposit her egg (or small clutch of) into the male's birth canal after their reproducing process. And that's where they were born, in the water. But here he was, still dressed in the orange dress he always wore; sat across from Jumba who was still wearing his own shorts, in cold bath water. Nothing sexual about it at all. But it still made Pleakley feel flighty, and warm. It was a nice feeling, no matter how nervous it made him feel.

"Ah. Well, if this is what my species meant as family togetherness," Jumba started, grinning still, "I am thinking I am liking it."

"I.. I'm glad." Pleakley just beamed.

The End


End file.
